When did <insert house here> change labels

[g-man]

It was brought up during our Have fonseca 1980 will travel tasting.

Fonseca changed their label in 1985 to the more modern stencils and swirlie caligraphy and once again in 2000 to have a bigger Fonseca font.

[jdaw1]

You might have posted this sufficiently late in the UK evening to delay Derek’s Stencil rant until tomorrow. Perhaps.

But also note that many stocks are held back by the producers, and released later. Those released later will have new labels. So different batches of Fonseca 1985 can be differently labelled, even if intended for the same national market. And of course, German labels ┰  British labels.

[Andy Velebil]

There are a bit of different labels. some as a result of late releases and different countries as Jdaw mentioned. I've seen the taylors "Label room" and it is exactly that. A huge room with all the different labels to comply with labeling laws in different countries. I was stunned at how big it was and how many different labels are used for the same vintage.

But it seems many changed in the 80's then again in the late 90's or 2000ish. I suspect the 80's change was a result of them no longer being bottled by negociants and the recent ones the effect of modern technology finally catching up.

[DRT]

Yada, yada, yada. This is approximately what a Fonseca label should look like, regardless of age:



I wish I had stayed up later

Derek

[SushiNorth]

Speaking of Fonseca labels, I was just looking at some recent acquisitions (2005 Guimaraens and QdPanascal) and feel that the labels are rather poor quality. All of them have little torn peeling pieces around the edges, and it seems that the soft-textured paper they used is closer to tissue than cardstock. I suspect it has something to do with the fancy coloration they wanted to include, but really. The mold will eat those labels before the decade is out.

I am highly amused that even this picture i found of it on the web has a rip on the top edge.

[mosesbotbol]

Sandeman labels are paper thing... Well the are paper, but haven't been able to soak one off yet.

I think it may be too hard to give a solid date with label changes since there's little constants to base on any one market.

[Andy Velebil]

There was thread about labels some time ago and a lot of complaints about Fonseca's newer labels being very confusing to read, since they all have Fonseca Guimmareans listed on the front label. They just enlarge or shrink one or the other name depending on if its a "declared" year VP or not. I wish they would go back to the old label that Derek lists. There is no mistaking it for anything other than a Fonseca VP.

The thin paper labels are quit bothersome on any bottle of wine/Port. But any producer that makes a product intended to last decades should use a very strong and durable label. In this day and age, there is no reason they could not get something that would last 40+ years in the cellar.

[SushiNorth]

There was thread about labels some time ago and a lot of complaints about Fonseca's newer labels being very confusing to read, since they all have Fonseca Guimmareans listed on the front label.

Oh shoot. Serves me right for not paying more attention. I have two bottles in the basement, inventoried as 2005 Guimaraens, and JUST picked up two more QdPanascal thinking they'd released two different SQVPs (though i couldn't fathom why). Sure enough, same wine, same unreadable label. Maybe I can trade these in for the Grahams 83 for the 83/85 tasting.

[g-man]

I'm pretty sure in 05 that Fonseca did indeed release two SQVP ...
one was the Panascal and the other was the Guimaraens from Fonseca's Pinhao Valley vineyards.

you might want to check those labels again =)

[SushiNorth]

I'm pretty sure in 05 that Fonseca did indeed release two SQVP ...
one was the Panascal and the other was the Guimaraens from Fonseca's Pinhao Valley vineyards.
you might want to check those labels again =)

You're right; at least I'm not going nuts. I think the trouble is that all bottles arrive with Guimaraens on it (as that's their official name) and as a result the quinta do panascal's are getting listed incorrectly on their inventory; which is what I copied when I entered it onto my spreadsheet. I definitely have four of the same when I wanted a pair of each

Edit: Yeah, doing a search it appears there's only a little of the Guimaeraens and its all through The Wine Society in the UK.
EditEdit: Oh woe is me, for I have too much fonseca! I'll stop whining now.

[Alex Bridgeman]

So do you think its worth us trying to collect pictures of labels? I've probably got a fair number of pictures that I can put up (eventually) and it would be really interesting to have a picture label library showing an example of each different format of label used for each shipper for each vintage.

PS - modern Fonseca labels are horrible and confusing. I wish they would go back to the old reverse stencil of block white on black.

PPS - Milk bottle labels in the UK these days are made of plastic. Bet they wouldn't rot in a cellar.

[jdaw1]

I have been putting pictures of labels in tasting notes. Be encouraged to do likewise.